CO2Sense Yorkshire is offering capital funding support to SMEs in the resource efficiency sector to make CO2 savings through reducing waste, saving water or saving energy.

Funding is available for waste reduction initiatives, recycling services, or re-use projects. There is also financial support to help businesses to reduce their energy and water consumption, increase water re-use, or use waste to generate energy.

The Greenhouse Gas Savings Capital Investment Fund is designed to increase the capacity of the resource efficiency sector in Yorkshire and Humber. Successful applicants are expected to hit targets for CO2 emissions reductions, tonnage of waste diverted from landfill, business growth and cost savings.

Andrew Hartley, operations director for CO2Sense Yorkshire, said: “Our key aim is to help businesses to realise the benefits of resource efficiency and to increase the competitiveness, capacity, quality and scale of companies in Yorkshire and Humber. These funding packages will help businesses to grow and prosper and generate expertise that will transform Yorkshire and Humber into a low carbon economy.”

He continued: “Cutting Yorkshire and Humber’s CO2 emissions is a priority. With increasing landfill tax and potential legislation to ban certain materials from landfill, now is the time for waste producers, collectors and processing businesses to look at the opportunities presented by resource efficiency.”

CO2Sense Yorkshire is a not-for-profit company funded by Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional Development Fund. Jim Farmery, assistant director of business at Yorkshire Forward commented: “Resource efficiency projects are important as not only do they help Yorkshire and Humber to become a low carbon economy through our businesses becoming more efficient, they also improve businesses’ overall economic performance making them more competitive.”

Businesses and projects that were successful in the last round of Greenhouse Gas Savings Capital Investment funding received between £8,000 and £75,000 of support.

Examples of funded projects include:

● Safestyle Manufacturing & Logistics: CO2Sense awarded Safestyle a grant for a new bailer to support the development of a new recycling facility at Safestyle’s Barnsley depot. This helped to increase the company’s recycling capacity by 4,000 tonnes and save it £170,000 per year in waste disposal costs by diverting more waste from landfill.

• The Potter Group of Selby: a logistics and warehousing company that expanded into the baling and handling of waste paper: It received a grant of £54,000 towards the cost of purchasing a baler which will process 13,200 tonnes of material over three years.

Greenhouse Gas Savings Capital Investment Fund bids can be submitted by individual SMEs or from groups or consortiums, if a project is large or regionally significant. CO2Sense Yorkshire will also help businesses access additional funding from other sources such as national partners or research and development grants for larger bids.

For further information about the Greenhouse Gas Savings Capital Investment Fund, including submission deadlines, visit the “latest news” section of the www.CO2Sense.org.uk homepage. Full application packs are available along with case studies of projects funded in previous rounds. Alternatively email jan.phillips@co2sense.org.uk or contact Jan Phillips on 0113 237 8419.

Companies interested in renewable energy in the sector can also approach the CO2Sense Renewable Energy Fund. This fund provides help with the capital costs of renewable energy projects. Funding is available on commercial terms and grant basis, depending on circumstances. Bids can be made for amounts between £20,000 and up to £750,000.

For more information about the Renewable Energy Fund contact Jemma Benson on 0113 237 8422 or jemma.benson@co2sense.org.uk